Dance of Death
by 0Life-is-a-Song0
Summary: You shouldn't make deals with the devil unless you're willing to sell your soul. But Hermione can't help but make a deal with Draco Malfoy. You can't blame her, really. Revenge on Ron would feel oh so good. And being bad? Never felt better.
1. Pisces

_So, this was created yesterday, but I didn't like it, and redid the first chapter. This is my first (2nd 1st) Harry Potter fic, so yay me!_

_I'll be updating about once a week, in between exam studying. _

_Summary: Hermione Granger is a clever girl. She was a loyal girlfriend, and she did what was expected. She even became head girl in her 7th year at Hogwart's. And yet, she feels like she's put up with a bit too much. When Ron breaks things off with her in a less than stellar way, she decides that it's time for her to take action. Too bad the only one who could really teach her the art of having a vendetta is Draco Malfoy. Too bad that in return for his services, she's got to sign a contract that binds her to him. Something says that's off, but Hermione was never one to be deterred from her goals. Ron would pay for what he'd done, and if she had to use the likes of Malfoy to get what she wanted, she'd do it. What are his ulterior motives though? With the pressure of Head Girl, the drama of a woman scorned, and the anger of her arch nemesis pressing down on her, 7th year suddenly became a little more complicated that expected. Maybe she shouldn't have signed her name on the dotted line? But now, there's no turning back, not when you've shaken hands with the devil himself._

_Reviews are certainly appreciated, and I enjoy any feedback!_

* * *

Ron Weasley was not a tactful boy. He was not the one to break up arguments with a truce in the end, and he certainly couldn't tell his sister in a nice way that her dress did indeed make her butt look too big. He couldn't explain why he didn't want to wear the old hand-me-down sweaters without causing offense, and he never got a grasp on why it was wrong to tell a girl to shut it and take a Midol. Maybe it was a generic trait he got from his father? On the other hand, his mother was somewhat of a brutally honest person, and to be tactful goes hand in hand with knowing when to keep the truth to yourself. So who was to blame? The honest mother or the airheaded father? It would be ok to blame his father since he took in his bad qualities with his good ones, but it would be suicide to blame his mother. And yet because of both of them, he seemed to be air headedly honest to the point of making his lack of tact an art.

He also sucked at breaking up with girls too.

"What are you trying to say, Ronald?" Hermione folded her arms over her robes, raising and eyebrow and frowning as he turned a brilliant shade of scarlet. Harry was discreetly watching them with a frown on his face as he polished the handle of his firebolt, trying not to listen, but listening anyway, wondering at his friend's stupidity. It wasn't his place to comment on Ron's impending peril, but he knew this wouldn't be the tearful breakup that was expected. Hermione wouldn't take this lying down like Ron thought she would.

"I'm trying to say… blimey, Hermione, I don't want this to be difficult. It's just hard to… you know, feel like I like you as much as you like me, you know?" Harry winced at his friend's choice of words, and Hermione's temper flared even more, eyes looking murderous. Clenching her hands into fists, she took a deep breath, ignoring the icy feeling in her heart.

"So what, you're breaking up with me because you think that I like you more than you like me?" She raised an eyebrow challengingly, biting back a sharp laugh. "That's rather mature, seeing as how you were the one get angry at me for not being a dedicated girlfriend." Harry snorted at that, earning a helpless glare from Ron and an appreciative glance from Hermione.

"Hermione, you've got this huge bar set up above you that you want me to reach, and I'm tired of trying. It's like I can never be the good boyfriend for you because you don't think I'm good enough. I can't help it if you're pushing me too hard." Ron couldn't help the words from falling out of his mouth, but at the look of shock on both Harry and Hermione's faces, he really wished to pull them back. He could feel his ears burning, and at the murderous look he was getting, he knew he was done for. For some reason, he could feel it deep down in his gut that this wasn't just a lover's spat. Judging from the warning look in Harry's eyes and the barely hidden pain in Hermione's, he'd just pushed somewhere he should have never gone.

"You think I set standards no one can reach?" She snapped, stepping close to him, seething. "Well, Ron, I'm sorry you want someone who makes things easy for you just so you can feel better about yourself." Harry shrunk down into his seat, polishing the broom handle harder than necessary as he noticed a few people coming into the common room. It wouldn't bode well for anyone else to hear this, but Hermione was too angry to care, and Ron was just now realizing what he'd just done. "It's sad you have to have someone right behind you saying in your ear, 'oh, it's ok, you're doing just fine'. I didn't know you were such a child."

Ok, not sorry for her anymore.

"You just want everyone to be on the level you think they should be on. If we're not all pristine and straight laced, we must need fixing, is that it?" Ron bit out, glaring. "I never said I was perfect, but I'm tired of you making me feel like I should be!" Lavender and Parvathi gave each other knowing looks, falling onto a nearby chair together to watch the show, earning a not so subtle glare from Harry, but they ignored it.

"It's a little sad that you're happy to be a lazy, mooching boyfriend, but I'm not going to put up with it. I'm glad you're doing this; at least it shows I have standards." There was scattered laughter from Colin Creevy and his friends, and Ron felt that his pride was in jeopardy. Steeling himself from the next form of pain he was about to endure, he shook his head and smiled.

"Your standards are worse than my grandmother's. Honestly, Hermione, did you think we were going to stay together with you badgering me all the time?" Ron heard a couple people appreciatively laughing, and he had to continue. "I mean, I understand that you're Head Girl and all, but that doesn't mean you have to hex anyone who dare mention anything to do with sex." Hermione's face turned a light pink, and her lips pursed dangerously. Harry kept polishing his broom, shaking his head slowly at Ron's stupidity.

"So that's what this is about? You're mad because I won't sleep with you? That's a little pathetic. I expected better than that, Ron." Hermione could feel her fingernails digging into her skin, and she pressed a little harder, hoping that if she did so, she wouldn't slap Ron for making this a public event. He wanted publicity? She'd give them a show.

"See? You're always expecting something of me. It's a little maddening with you breathing down my neck all the time!" Lavender giggled delicately, making Ron feel a little better about what he was saying.

"Well, I'm sorry that being a concerned girlfriend makes it seem like I'm just being overbearing. Maybe you'd rather someone who is never around, sleeping with anything that moves?!" Harry chuckled appreciatively at that, running his fingers down the length of his broom to see how much dust and dirt he'd gotten off.

"At least it'd mean you're sleeping with someone! This isn't the fifteenth century, Hermione. If you took your nose out of your books, you'd realize that." Harry winced, glancing up to see Hermione advancing on him, jabbing him in the chest and pushing him back with each word she spit between clenched teeth. Ron glanced around the room, looking for someone who would help him, but the only one who seemed actually concerned for him was Lavender, and even then he knew she wouldn't move.

"This has nothing to do with my nose in books. This has to do with you trying to use me to get what you want. I won't give up my integrity to satisfy your greed. I have standards. I'm not the one ogling other people, like you are _right now._" She pushed him back again, and he glared at her, turning even redder when a group of girls nodded in her direction. He was losing, and losing badly.

"Hermione, you set your standards so high, it's no wonder Krum broke things off with you." Harry winced again, and then repeated the action when a resounding _SLAP!_ Echoed throughout the Gryffindor common room. There was a stunned silence followed by the sound of a door slamming, and then a hesitant murmuring as the students began discussing what they had just seen. The Golden Trio was soon to become a rather strange friendship triangle.

Ron sunk into the chair next to Harry, holding his slowly reddening cheek. Harry snorted as Ron muttered something about females under his breath before he finally spoke.

"So, was it worth it?" Harry asked brightly as he grabbed his broom tweezers to get rid of a few stray twigs that had bent during Quittich practice. Ron groaned something in surprise and gave Harry a glowering look.

"Sod off." He advised, tossing another scowl to a group of giggling third years who had seen almost the entire spectacle. Harry shook his head slowly, grabbing the broom polish and lining the wood with it, not looking at the red hand print on Ron's face. If he did, he just might laugh.

"You did provoke her. Wouldn't a, 'we're better off as friends' worked just as fine?" Harry asked, rubbing the wood harder when Ron socked him in the shoulder. Lavender and Parvathi giggled, shaking their heads in unison when Ron glowered at them again, and he sighed.

"I shouldn't have brought up Krum."

"You shouldn't have brought up Krum." Harry agreed, nodding along with Ron's shaking head.

"She shouldn't have said I was a lazy, mooching boyfriend then!" Ron muttered, glaring. Harry shook his head, presenting his broom to Ron who gave him a withering glare.

"Why did you break up with her anyway?" Harry asked, eyebrows raised. Ron's glare grew, making Harry begin to believe that he should know why. Racking his brains for an answer, Ron finally gave it to him, hating having to explain it to Harry. To Ron, it was certainly obvious. Maybe he was the only one who got it?

"Hell Harry, I can't be what she wants me to be. I'm tired of trying. It's exactly as I told her. And… well, Lavender's always been interested. Things will go nicer with her." Harry's laugh overruled Ron's slow belief that he had a solid reason.

"There are some things that you don't tell a female, mate." Ron sighed, and smiled up at Lavender as she stood up and walked over to him, putting a dainty hand on his shoulder.

"I'm an arse, aren't I." It wasn't a question, and Harry laughed.

"No one's disagreeing." Harry nodded, earning another punch to the shoulder.

Yes, his tact was one to be marveled at.

* * *

"Draco, I'm bored." Blaise poked his arm. Instead of responding, Draco continued his homework, quill scratching on the parchment a little too loudly. Blaise poked his arm again.

"So go do something." Draco snapped as Blaise poked him again.

"I mean, I'm really, really bored." Blaise emphasized his words as he poked Draco's arm again, a little more force behind his hand.

"It's not my problem." Draco retorted, shrugging off his friend's antics. Blaise seemed cool and collected around anyone else, but he was childish and joking when he thought no one noticed. Draco was used to him being one way around everyone else, and then a six-year-old around him.

"I can't even go and hook up with someone I'm so bored. I can't do anything." He poked Draco's arm again, and Draco felt his teeth clench together.

"Obviously you can do something since you keep poking me." Blaise laughed delightedly as he poked Draco again.

"I'm bored, and it's helping." Blaise commented nonchalantly. Draco continued to work, hoping that if he ignored his friend long enough, he'd go away. This was not the case with Blaise Zabini, however much Draco wished it was.

"And good friends usually help out when their friends are bored." Blaise emphasized, prodding his friend again. Draco gritted his teeth and dipped his quill into the ink well with more force than necessary.

"If you're under the impression you've got friends here, you're sadly mistaken." Draco snapped, his grip on his quill tightening when Blaise poked him again.

"You seek me out in a crowd, and you divulge dark secrets to me. We're friends." Blaise poked him again, and Draco took a deep breath to stop himself from hitting his supposed friend.

"My, my, someone's been reading their witch weekly. What else does it say about friends?" He bit out scathingly, making Blaise crack up. He poked him again, grinning.

"Well, you're a Scorpio, for one. And you need to beware a dark haired girl, and a blond temptress." Blaise advised, nodding when Draco glanced up to see Pansy Parkinson glancing at him with a raised eyebrow. Draco shook his head, and looked back down, biting his tongue as Blaise poked him again.

"Or maybe you already knew that?" Blaise asked, jabbing with more force than he meant. Draco's quill scratched across his essay, spreading the fresh ink over his words, and furious, he rounded on Blaise, eyes glinting dangerously.

"What does it matter if I do?" He hissed, pushing Blaise away from him. Blaise fell back into his chair, unsurprised at the aggression in his friend's actions. "What does it matter if I know about any blond haired temptress or not? You're sticking your abnormally large nose too far into someone else's business, Zabini." Blaise picked imaginary lint off of his robes and then looked up, face innocent.

"My nose is not abnormally large." He said slowly, leaning in when Draco scoffed and rolled his eyes, turning away. "And it matters because if you're not going to do anything about that blond temptress, I will." Draco turned and glared at his friend, eyebrows drawn together in anger, his ruined essay long forgotten.

"What, are you going to go and mess around with my sloppy seconds?" Draco sneered. Blaise laughed openly, looking back to where Pansy was standing and giving Draco another sensual glance before walking up to her dormitory.

"There's nothing wrong with sloppy seconds, mate, but I don't think we'll have to worry about that. It's not like you slept with her." Blaise replied easily, enjoying Draco's look of surprise far too much. Whether it was true or not was nothing of his concern, but by the glare he was getting, Blaise got the feeling he was almost too close to the truth.

"Not like I'd want to; I hear from almost every chit in our year how loose she is." Draco looked down at his paper, ignoring the slight pang in his chest when he thought of what she'd done. It wasn't just what he'd heard, it's what he'd seen as well. Pansy was usually careful about not being caught in her little games, but she'd slipped up, and Draco had been the one to suffer. What did it matter though? Pansy wanted him for his money, and he wouldn't let her near him with a ten foot pole. It was simple as that.

"My kind of woman." Blaise commented dryly, earning a painful kick to his shin.

"Are you sure that you can handle that kind of woman? And keep your hands to yourself, please?" Theodore Nott frowned down at them, an eyebrow cocked as Blaise smothered a grin and Draco kicked Blaise again.

"I can't help it if Draco's obsessed with touching me in some sort of way." Blaise complained, and Theodore turned to Draco, tilting his head, silently asking him to explain.

"Blaise was the one poking me earlier." Draco defended himself. Theodore sat down next to Blaise, his face carefully composed into a blank expression, but his shoulders slightly sagging in amusement. Theodore was not like other Slytherins. He didn't push and shove for his way, and he didn't give his emotions away easily. To his close friends, he was just a little standoffish, but to everyone else he was a book no one could read. He didn't throw himself into the political maneuverings of Slytherin, but he didn't kiss ass either. He liked where he was, and where he was, was kind of nice. He didn't butt into others business, and they respected his silence in drama. He kept to himself and his studies, and only stepped into a situation when things became violent.

Because of this, Professor Dumbledore had happily given him the Head Boy badge, saying that not only would it promote house unity, but it would also balance Hermione Granger's brash way of settling things.

"So because he childishly poked you, you kicked him." Theodore frowned just a little, looking between them with his fingers steepled before him. "That sounds like you're just sinking to his pathetic level." Draco laughed as Blaise openly scoffed.

"It was necessary." Draco said with his eyes unwillingly glancing up to the girl's dormitory before going back to his friends. Theodore didn't miss the motion, but tilted his head instead of saying anything. He would let Draco explain, if Draco wanted, but other than that, he kept quiet.

"Where are you off to, Theo? You could stay here and help me convince Draco here that he's not much of a player as he'd like to think." Theo smirked and shook his head, glancing at his watch.

"I've got a meeting with the Head Girl on schedule duties and the upcoming Hogsmeade trip." Was all he said in explanation. Draco choked on his spit as Blaise erupted in laughter, and Theo glanced curiously between them, waiting for one to elaborate.

"You're skipping out on us to hang out with the mudblood? She's not much fun." Draco objected when Blaise quieted down enough for words. It was true, the Head Boy and Girl didn't necessarily always see eye to eye, but they managed to work things out in a way that no one else could. Because he was a hard worker, the mudblood seemed to overlook his house loyalty, but Draco couldn't conceive how Theo didn't just make her life hell. It would be easy for him to.

"Yes, but I've never been reduced to a poking war with her, either." Theodore noted, nodding between them. "I'm not a part of your ancestral hatred of mudbloods, so I can't hate someone with better marks than I because of her family. It's unbecoming." Draco couldn't help but feel a rush of anger at his friend's words, no matter how mature they sounded. It was almost like he was choosing hanging out with that smug mudblood over his own friends, and it was sickening.

"Unbecoming, but warranted. She's dirty blood… mixed with the very people we don't bother associating with because they're so low it's almost an insult to deal with one. I couldn't do it." Draco nodded curtly, standing up to pace, unable to keep his feet still at the slightly annoyed look in Theo's eyes. Did he not like hearing the truth?

"Then I guess it's lucky for her that the task falls to my lot, and not yours." Theodore raised an eyebrow, not bothering to look at Draco as the pale faced youth dented the floor with his steps. Blaise shrugged and inspected his nails, looking up at Draco to see how he would respond.

"She's lucky indeed. I swear, if I could get my hands on that bushy haired Halfling without Dumbledore's golden boy jumping to her rescue, I'd-"

"You'd insult her, threaten her with sparks from your wand, and then stomp off, threatening worse the next time." Theo dryly cut in, tossing Blaise a wry glance. Draco turned slightly pink, and pursing his lips, he faced the fire in the common room, needing a distraction from his friend that made no sense.

"I'd make her life a veritable hell." Draco muttered, not sure if he was talking to himself or Theo, or Blaise. It could have been a combination of all three.

"Yes, and you'd condemn yourself in the same motion you made to break her down." Theo replied without missing a beat. Draco turned back, slightly surprised, but Theo merely shrugged and turned away, glancing at his watch. Giving a wave to the two of them, he walked out, pristine and still very much in control of himself.

"I couldn't do it." Blaise commented when Draco snarled something under his breath. Theodore Nott was definitely an oddball when it came to other houses and co-existing with them, and Draco didn't understand how he could stand to be around St. Potter's whore. Surely he knew how it would taint him and his family name to be around her and act like a decent person around her? Didn't he see that? Draco shook his head. Though Theo was his friend, he didn't get him sometimes.

"Neither could I. He's uprooting everything his father worked for. After the Department of Mysteries incident, you'd think Theo would get the bigger picture." Draco replied, not sure if he should confront his friend or let him be. It wasn't his business, and Theo had kindly stayed out of his, so maybe he'd return the favor. Maybe.

"Too true. I mean, it's Granger. Queen of the mudbloods. Maybe he is seeing the bigger picture though? I mean, my picture is centered on a curly haired blondie who keeps sending you looks that would make a man beg, so I can't say much about big pictures." Blaise ignored Draco's look of fury, and closed his eyes, picturing Pansy in his mind.

"So have at her; what are you waiting for?" Draco snarled, grabbing his soiled essay and throwing it dejectedly into the rubbish bin. Now he'd have to start all over, and it had almost been finished. Damn his so called friend and his A.D.D. tendencies. Damn the mudblood and her overachieving attitude. Damn Theo and his equality.

"I'm waiting for you to get over her." Draco glanced at Blaise, but refused to take the bait, choosing instead to put his feet onto his desk, leaning back in his chair and staring at the ceiling.

"I mean, I know it's not like you have a huge list of girls who want to hook up with you, but a rebound pity date wouldn't do you any bad." Blaise grinned brightly, winking as a few fifth years went by, and he turned his attentions back to a rather angry blond haired boy.

"I could get any girl in this school; you know that very well."

"Really now, any girl? You've never given that kind of information in your heart to hearts with me." Blaise ignored Draco flipping him the bird, and he continued. "I mean, if you think about it, you couldn't get any girl. Not even I could get any girl. Some of the Gryffindors are just prudish to the point of plain stupidity, and the Hufflepuffs are too timid. You wouldn't want to mess with them. Not even for 10,000 galleons." Draco laughed at that, making Blaise pause for a moment, a thoughtful look crossing his face.

"Even if they're not worth the bother, I could still get any girl I wanted." He retorted with a shrug. It wasn't a lie, in a way. Most girls would do whatever Draco Malfoy asked, simply because of his past, or his charm. But not every girl. There were the ones who were obviously not interested, or even tried to curse him just because of who he was.

"Yeah? Your horoscope says to beware of trickery. And that was last month's issue… didn't you hook up with Pansy last month?" Blaise dodged a well aimed book that had been thrown at his head. "Just saying… flowers would do you good… preferably roses… you do need to loosen up a bit…" Blaise was skimming through the magazine, his nose close to it like he actually cared what it said, and with a grin, he jabbed the page. "See? It also says something strange will happen in your life, but to embrace it." Draco rolled his eyes, glancing forlornly at the essay he'd have to re-do. Couldn't Blaise wait to be a pest?

"Oh, and what about you? Any strange occurrence in your future?" Draco asked sarcastically. Blaise laughed and looked to the next page, scanning it.

"No, but this is my lucky month. Something good is going to happen for me." Blaise wiggled his eyebrows, nodding his head towards the Girls' dormitory. "And if you can get over your spat with Pansy and move on, I'll be able to reap the benefits of being a Pisces." Nodding sarcastically, Draco walked over to his book bag, deciding to find some other place to do his work. He'd have to get his essay done somehow.

"Go on then, Pisces, have at it. I'll have to see about my so called strange encounter later." Pushing his parchment, ink, and quills into the bag, he swung it onto his shoulder, looking over to see Blaise skimming through the magazine, sardonic eyebrow raised. Did he really believe that idiocy? Turning to walk away, he figured it'd be an hour before Blaise had even noticed that he'd gone somewhere.

"Would you really tear her up if you got the chance?" Blaise asked suddenly, and Draco turned around, surprised that Blaise had noticed him leaving. Exchanging the bag to his other shoulder, he couldn't help the sneer from creeping into his voice.

"I wouldn't even leave the pieces behind." He declared, a smirk curling over his lip. Giving a halfhearted wave, he turned and pushed a second year out of his way as he exited the common room to find some peace and quiet to work.

"Scorpio's this month need also beware their tempers, and what it will cost them…" Blaise murmured to himself, tapping his chin. Shrugging, he stood up and stretched, tossing the Witch Weekly onto the couch. "But, on the other hand, Pisces are to indulge in their senses." Glancing up at the girl's dormitory, he smirked. "After all, it is our lucky month."

* * *

_Hit or miss? Only you can tell!_


	2. Scorpio

_Thanks for the reviews and hits, guys! I got this in as quick as I could without making it utter crap, so yeah. I've got a pretty good grasp on updating once a week, so this will go a lot smoother than my other stories. Nothing much to say, so here you go!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Draco slipped into the library as quickly as he could, stalking past the rows and trying to get to his back corner so he could concentrate. Blaise's words were still echoing through his head, and it kept bringing him back to his earlier statement. He would love to ruin Granger. He would love to rip her off of her pedestal, and he wanted to be the one to accomplish that. He wanted to be the one to say that he was the reason she was no longer little miss high and mighty mudblood, favorite of Dumbledore, whore of St. Potter-

He shook his head and spread his stuff onto his desk in the back, immediately turning around to go through the rows and rows of books where one would help him. He had the power, did he not? He had the magic, and he had the cunning; somewhere in this school, there had to be a spell that would let him achieve his goal. Now that Blaise and Theo had mentioned it… why shouldn't he? He could show Theo just how wrong he was, and show Granger just how low she was. Blaise would shut up about Pansy, and Draco would be back on top again. Just like things should be.

But where to start?

He went through the dark arts section, scanning the different topics, and then through the potions, but there were none worth anything that would achieve what he wanted. The charms section wasn't worth looking through, and he didn't have an idea for transfiguring anything, and slowly Draco became frustrated. Finally, as he scanned the History section, he found what he was looking for. An old tomb, rebound at least three different times, rested on a desolate shelf, the name almost completely faded. _A Thousand and One Nights_ was written across the side in a long and curling script, the letters peeling. Curious, and a little wary, he pulled the tomb off of the shelf, surprised when a small jolt of magic raced through the spine of the book and into his fingers. So it was old magic? He could use that.

Settling down onto his chair, Draco flipped through the book, trying not to crush any of the pages by pulling on them too harshly. The book was everything to do with old history curses, past battles with unfound curses, and the rise and fall of old powers. Draco saw old ancestors of his that his father idolized, and it was in their records that he found exactly what he was looking for.

"Oh, this will be all too good." Draco smirked to himself as he leaned back. Now all he needed was the perfect set-up to launch his attack.

* * *

Hermione reached the library in record speed. Anger was pumping fresh in her veins, and the desire to hit something was still fresh. It wasn't becoming of the Head Girl to resort to slapping her now ex-boyfriend, but damn… it had felt good. How dare he bring up Viktor Krum? How dare he try and tell her she expected too much? It was Ron who wanted too much, always asking her if she'd ever be ready to take the next step in their relationship, always asking her if she ever wanted to be closer to him than she already was…

As if having morals these days were a sin! Hermione gritted her teeth and stalked the rows of the library, taking in their scent of old manuscripts and parchment. It had always been soothing to come to the library after an argument with Ron, but now was different. She could see the way he had looked at Lavender, even though he was sitting there, verbally backhanding Hermione with every word he spoke. Like that whore deserved any attention? But maybe she did; maybe Ron and her deserved each other. Hermione felt like something was in order, something less responsible than what was expected of her…

"Penny for your thoughts, mudblood?" Hermione whirled around, her temper spiking as she took in Draco Malfoy's smirk, his eyes taking in her clenched fists and bristling hair. His books were stacked in disarray around him, a long stretch of parchment in front of him like he had been working on something. Hermione closed her eyes and pinched her nose, wondering why in the world God had decided that she'd not only have to deal with one obnoxious and overbearing boy, but another who also had the tendency to pick fights.

"Sod off, Malfoy." She snapped, turning back around to leave. She could find another place in the library to vent, right? She didn't have to be where the amazing bouncing ferret resided. It would probably be good for her blood pressure to walk away, and act like an adult. She was the head girl, and she had a reputation to uphold.

"Oh, that's all? I thought the clever bookworm would have something smarter to say in reply." Draco drawled, and Hermione whirled around, ready to injure him with any curse that popped into mind. Her wand itching to be used, she was reaching for it when he laughed cruelly, shaking his head.

"You wouldn't want to do that, mudblood. You curse me and the headmaster will have your badge, and then what? They place another Slytherin as a head of the houses? According to you, one is bad enough." Draco leaned back, hands behind his head, smirking cockily up at her.

"There's no way the headmaster would place another Slytherin in charge. Nott is an exception to the rules, and that's because all in all, he's nothing like-"

"Nothing like what, a Slytherin? Oh, but he is… he really is. Not like you could conceive the truth beyond the bridge of your nose. You never could look past your books, Granger." Hermione gritted her teeth as Ron's words coincided with what Malfoy, was telling her. It wasn't just from his mouth, it was from her own ex's too! There had to be something off with that. There was no way it could be true, could it? The need to do something, to _act_ was fresh in her mind, but she had no idea how to act. What could she do?

"He's obviously a lot more mature than you. Why are you even bothering me?" Hermione snapped, unable to keep the fury from filtering in her tones.

"Why, because I can. You were the one to intrude on my peace, mudblood, so it's you who is bothering me." Draco looked down at the book in front of him, and a frown crossed his face as he looked back at her. What was his deal? Rolling her eyes, she turned to leave when he accosted her once again.

"I didn't say for you to leave." He commented in his smug drawl, talking down to her like she was a servant, like she was his to command. What was with guys having that misconception today?! Whirling around, Hermione advanced on him, hand itching for her wand.

"I'm not like one of your Slytherin whores that you can command with the drop of a hat, ferret." She snarled. Malfoy looked surprised at her actions, but altogether amused. What was she going to do, curse him? Sure, slapping him would probably do the trick, but she shook her head. She was the head girl, and she wouldn't allow Malfoy to be the one to make her give up her standards because he was a jackass. Realizing this, he stood up as well, his towering height leaning over her.

"No, you're lower on the rank structure than that." He sneered, making her blood boil.

"As if you're one to talk. Not everyone here bows down to you and your father's money." She retorted evenly, despite how angry she felt. Raising an eyebrow, he stepped around her and began nonchalantly skimming the rows of books, ignoring her statement altogether. Hermione would have thought that it hadn't bothered him, but seeing his back rigid with anger and his fists clenched, she knew otherwise. Why was he holding back? He'd never done that before.

"Besides," She continued, feeling that since he wasn't talking, she would, "If being at the bottom means I'm not in the group with your mindless slaves, I'm much happier where I am. Anything's better than where you are." Draco looked back at her, lips curled in a snarl. If she didn't know any better, Hermione would have said that he was close to hitting her.

"And where do you think I am, mudblood?" He hissed, eyes glinting in a way she hadn't seen before. Something was up.

"You're an outcast to the Slytherin, you're an idiot to the rest of the student body, the headmaster can't trust you, and you're a failure to the Dark Lord, the very guy you were trying to impress." She said each word slowly, distinctly, and before she had the time to fully blink, he had rushed her, pushing her against the wall, a soundless snarl on his lips. Shock rocked her system, and blindly she reached for her wand. Pulling it out and pushing it against his stomach, she was close to spitting out a hex when she saw the murderous look in his eyes. It was a look that said quite clearly, he would do everything in his power to destroy her. She'd never felt more afraid.

"Let her go, Draco." A voice from behind Malfoy caught Hermione's attention, and she looked around the steaming youth to see Nott standing near the shelves, arms folded, and face blank. Malfoy didn't bother to turn and see who it was, almost like he already knew. Hermione dug her wand farther into his gut, glaring up at him challengingly, but all he did was stare back, fingers digging into her shoulders as he seemed to be internally battling against something. What was he about to do? Hermione resisted the impulse to bite her lip.

"I don't think I will." Draco finally said, voice arrogant and droll, silver eyed glare making her dig her wand farther into his stomach. If he noticed, he didn't show it.

"I need her for our meeting this evening. I'm not going to explain to the headmaster about the murder in his school." Nott didn't seem bothered by her being thrown against the wall, and angrily, Hermione pushed at Malfoy, but it was like pushing a rock; he didn't budge. Something she had said snapped at him, and now she felt like she was royally screwed. Draco's mouth tightened into a thin line as his breathing grew a little harsher.

"And, you don't need any more trouble. Let the girl go." Nott was indifferent to the situation, much to Hermione's dismay, but maybe it was his lack of care in the matter that fixed things? Draco snarled something under his breath, cocking a fist back and punched the wall next to Hermione's head. Scrambling out of the way, Hermione stumbled away from him, wand pointing straight at his heart. His gaze followed her, face still screwed up in anger and disgust. He didn't seem daunted by the wand pointed at him.

"That's not necessary, Granger." Nott informed her, and looking back at him, she saw his eyebrow raised in question. Looking back at Malfoy, Hermione was surprised to see no emotion on his face, as if something had wiped the rage off of his features. The only thing that showed the inferno within was his eyes. They watched her like a predator.

"He attacked a student." She finally managed to spit out, surprise still showing. Underneath it, Hermione hated the fact that she felt fear, an underlying film on the roof of her mouth as she warily observed the pale boy before her. She decidedly ignored the dent in the wall where her head had been inches from.

"If you planned on hexing him, you would have done it already." Nott dismissed her words, and grabbing her wand, he pushed it down slowly. "I'll take care of him." He finally said, a tinge of exasperation in his tone. Finally relenting, Hermione put her wand back into her robe pocket, stepping back. Adjusting her robes, Hermione turned and glanced at Nott before pivoting to leave.

"You'll pay for that, mudblood." Malfoy suddenly said, and Hermione picked up her pace, not wanting to look back at the situation she'd just narrowly avoided. "Just remember… you'll pay." Hermione race walked down the aisles, and when she reached the door of the library, she didn't glance back to see if Nott had followed.

* * *

"That was close." Nott remained where he was, eyes trained on Draco as the steaming Slytherin threw his books into his bag unceremoniously. "I almost believed I'd have a death on my hands." Turning to give Theodore a withering glare, Draco's lip curled and he jabbed a finger in the general direction where the mudblood had fled.

"She'll pay for that." He hissed, staring right back into Theodore's patronizing gaze. He didn't care that he'd been caught almost hitting the Head Girl; it didn't matter to him! How dare that insolent, ignorant, low life speak like she knew what she was talking about?! She was just like the know-it-all mudblood he'd pinned her for. What did she know of anything, of life? She didn't. Well, he'd teach her. He'd show her what it meant to be scared. There'd been a flicker of it in her eyes, and he was going to be the one to fully rip it out of her.

"So you told her. You're going to fix the dent in the wall." Theodore nodded his head in the direction of the wall, and with a flick of his wand, Draco fixed the cracks in the wood. Swinging his bag up, he faced Theo head on, waiting for his punishment. What would it be, detention? He could handle points off; he could handle a stern talking to from a professor… what could Theo possibly do?

"Also," Theo continued, unabashed, "whether she pays for it or not… it shouldn't matter to you if you're a failure in his eyes. Your mother's alive, yes? That's the price of failing the Dark Lord; you keep what actually matters to you." Shaking his head, he walked off, leaving Draco feeling like he'd just gotten the worst punishment he could have ever received.

He'd gotten pity.

* * *

Hermione couldn't concentrate as she made her way down the halls to the office she shared with Nott. It was back behind the teacher's eating tables, a small door to the left of the headmaster's chair, and it was where she generally met with professors to sort anything out that needed sorting out. It was a simple room with a fireplace, two medium sized desks, and it held silver and red furnishings.

Her shoulders ached right where Malfoy had dug his fingers in, and she was sure she'd have a bruise, but it was better than what could have been. Something had snapped in her, frozen her mind from reacting when he'd come to close to hitting her, all from just one simple statement-

"You're not going to tell the Headmaster of this." Jumping out of her daze, Hermione jerked her head around to see Nott right behind her, following at a slow and leisurely pace. His face was the same unemotional mask that it always was, save the slight tightening around his mouth like he was frustrated.

"Why not? He attacked-"

"A student, I know. But his actions weighed the same as the words that provoked them." Glaring at a ghost that glided past, Hermione shook her head. What was Nott blathering about? She'd done nothing but speak the truth; he'd asked for it!

"I told him the truth. I didn't do anything wrong." Hermione said crossly, glancing at her watch to see that it was close to dinner time. They'd have to have a quick meeting in order to get to eat a decent meal. Then, the idea of having to see Ron at dinner weighed down on her, and she groaned out loud at the thought of having to see him. Anger was still fresh for what he'd done. Glancing at her with a question in his eyes, Theo shook his head.

"You know a lot of things, Granger, but one thing you don't know is about his past." Startled at his comment, she looked up at him, about to speak, but he shook his head and held a hand up. "And you shouldn't pry into it either. If you've any self preservation, you'll leave him to his past, and let this situation go." Reaching the office, he opened the door politely and gestured to enter. Numbed by his words, Hermione followed the direction of his arm and walked inside.

About ten minutes passed with nothing but silence until Hermione couldn't help but speak up.

"I'm not a Slytherin; I've no big tie to self preservation." She blurted out, and Theo glanced up from his desk, startled that she'd spoken. He had been under the impression that he'd shut her up for awhile.

"Any human has self preservation in mind; a Slytherin just has the cunning to use it to his or her advantage. But a Gryffindor is smart, and knows when to stop pushing something. Sometimes." Giving her a pointed look, he changed the subject, holding up the paper from Hogsmeade and asking if she was ready to plan a specific date.

Sighing, Hermione threw herself into her work, letting the matter drop.

For now.

* * *

By the time they had finished, Hermione was sure she was going to blow. Students complaints, detentions that went unserved, pranks that had been pulled, disputes to settle, trips to plan, requests to submit or deny… the list went on. With the war with Lord Voldemort going on, Dumbledore wanted the students to be able to branch out and have fun, but he wanted safety first. The Hogsmeade trip would be tricky to maneuver while being safe at the same time, but looking at the eager faces, Hermione knew they'd have to find a way. After that had been pushed aside and the winter formal discussed, they were able to tackle the letters and small offences people had brought up to them.

Half way through though, Theo had interrupted their work to voice a question.

"Have you and Ron broken up?" Hermione couldn't help but flinch at the question, though she kept her face clear of annoyance or-God forbid- pain. Nodding curtly, she looked up at him to see that he seemed somewhat bothered by that, like it was a surprise or he wasn't sure how to respond.

"You can ask why, you know." Hermione informed him, grabbing another letter complaint to skim through. Theo let out a dry chuckle, and she could imagine him shaking his head. She wouldn't look up at him though, not wanting him to read her face like he could. Nott had the uncanny ability to be able to tell what someone really meant, or how they really felt, just by studying their face.

"Oh, I know I could. I've already come to that conclusion though; there's no need to ask." He didn't seem perturbed by her snort of disbelief, and after a few moments of silence, Hermione sighed.

"How could you come to that conclusion?" She gave in, looking up to see him slightly smirking. Leave it to a Slytherin to be smug at a Gryffindor relenting to their curiosity.

"He wanted something you weren't willing to give." Hermione's jaw dropped, and she stared at him, not wanting to believe that he'd actually guess correctly. How'd he know?! At her shocked face, he elaborated, knowing she was about to ask anyway.

"The way he looks at you; it's obvious." Shrugging in an indifferent way, he looked straight into her eyes, his tone a little less emotionless. "You'd do well to avoid him in that kind of way. He's not got your best intentions." Hermione pursed her lips, but after opening her mouth earlier, she had the feeling it wouldn't be appreciated again.

And the silence dragged on.

When they finally stepped out of the back room, the tables were laden with food and students were eating and talking, a cacophony rising from the din of glassware on tabletops.

"We'll discuss safety precautions with Dumbledore tomorrow after classes?" Hermione suggested to Nott before he took off to sit with his friends. Looking at her with his studious gaze, he gave a slight nod before glancing at his watch and tapping it.

"Six o'clock should be fine?" He said, glancing around the room before looking back at her. Nodding, Hermione stepped down the stairs and walked towards her house table, ignoring the looks and whispers. The moment she'd stepped out of the back room, she'd seen their glances, and could imagine their words.

"I heard she slapped him-"

"She's such a prude…"

"He's dating someone else now..."

"He's not a player, you're-"

"There they are now!" Hermione ignored them as best as she could, but when she spotted Ron and Lavender sitting closely together, she gritted her teeth and had to fight the urge to say something. _Pretend they don't exist_, she advised herself. Spotting Harry sitting away from them and with Ginny, Hermione made a bee-line for what allies she felt she had.

"Oh, Mione, I'm sorry my brother's an idiot!" Ginny gave her a hug immediately as she sat down, but she shrugged it off, trying to be brave. She couldn't show weakness; she was the Head Girl!

"It's alright Ginny, it's not a problem." Hermione looked over at Harry to see him studying her, possibly trying to see if she was telling the truth or not. Studiously avoiding his gaze, Hermione began loading her plate, forgetting the fact that she wasn't going to eat all of it.

"I mean, I know he's a bloody git… you want me to give him the bat bogey curse?" Ginny suggested, eyes bright as she pushed her side swept bangs from her face. Her pale features stood out against her blue eyes and red hair, and Hermione did a double take when she realized just how grown up Ginny had become. She wasn't just the little first year that had a crush on Harry… she was a young woman. When did that happen? Looking over at Harry, she saw the way he was looking at her, and a strange feeling took over her. Harry was looking at her with adoration in his eyes… something Ron didn't do.

"No, he's not worth it. No offense." She tacked on hastily, but Ginny flicked her hand in the general direction of her brother, rolling her eyes.

"He's not. What was he thinking?" She asked more to herself than the people around her. Down the table, Ron kept stealing glances over to Hermione, but she didn't return his glances. She kept her eyes pinned on either Ginny or Harry, refusing to look where he sat with Lavender. He wasn't worth her getting upset.

Was he?

* * *

"What's got the Head Girl all in a knot?" Blaise asked, voice maliciously indifferent as he ate. Theo glanced up from his food, studying Hermione for a second before clearing his throat. Draco didn't say or do anything; his glare was beginning to burn holes into his plate.

"Her and Ron broke up." Theo informed Blaise and Draco, tone uncaring. Blaise snorted and jabbed his fork over to where the red headed boy was leaning in towards the Gryffindor whore, not bothering to smother a laugh. He didn't notice how Draco's head snapped up in the direction of their table, nor did he notice the concentrated look he was giving the Head Girl, but Theo saw. Frowning ever so slightly, he placed his elbows on the table, resting his chin on his hands to study Draco's reaction.

"And you can see quite clearly which was the one to break it off." Blaise chuckled, shaking his head. "He's sure as hell moved on."

"Does it matter what the blood traitor decides to do with his pathetic life?" Draco snapped, but there was a hint of something flickering in his eyes that Theo didn't like. There was a plan forming, but what?

"No, but it's entertaining to see the golden trio having trouble in paradise." Blaise replied evenly, shrugging off Draco's sour mood. Theo gave an appreciative shake of his head, and he glanced up at the mudblood before looking back at Draco, alarmed to see the gleam aimed in her direction.

"Then let's keep their business to themselves." Theo pointed out, nudging Draco with his shoulder. Draco jerked as if he'd been struck, and looking between his two friends, he stood up suddenly, a smirk drifting over his face that Theo didn't like. If he knew better, he would have grabbed Draco and restrained him before anything could get worse, but he merely gave his friend a skeptical glance before pursing his lips.

"Remember what I said about destroying yourself in the process." Theo reminded his friend, knowing the warning would fall on deaf ears. Blaise looked at Draco in slight confusion before shrugging and tucking back into his food.

"Trust me; self preservation is what I do best." Draco drawled before dropping his napkin and walking away with a flourish Theo only remembered from Draco's paltry attempts at doing the Dark Lord's service the year before.

"Don't worry about him Theo, Draco knows what he's doing." Blaise consoled, clapping Theo on the back. Theo shook his head, glancing back at the Gryffindor table where the head girl was putting up an effort to seem unaffected by her ex's actions.

"That's what I'm afraid of."

* * *

Hermione herded her house down the hall to the common room, keeping the first years from straying too far, and making sure the returning years kept themselves in check. She trusted Nott to keep the Slytherins under some semblance of control, and the prefects from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were really good about keeping things quiet, but something felt wrong. It wasn't how Ron purposefully walked past her without a backward glance, and it wasn't the high pitched giggle Lavender made. It was something that made her get goose bumps, and when someone ran past from behind, she nearly jumped.

Rolling her eyes as the hallways slowly cleared, Hermione looked to the left and the right, wand out as she began patrolling the hallways. Since the threat of attacks was frequent with Lord Voldemort on the loose, the patrols started earlier, and being out in the halls was prohibited.

Groaning, Hermione recalled that they also lasted longer, too.

After an hour of going through the top parts of the school and making sure the students weren't hiding out to screw around, Hermione began the slow descent to the floor with the library, hoping that she could go in and check out a few books before she went back on duty. Checking her watch, she glanced around before ducking into the library, vowing to be just five minutes.

Stepping past the librarian, Hermione went to her favorite section to check out her favorite historical tome, _A Thousand and One Nights_, but upon reaching the slightly vacant shelf, it was to her dismay when she realized it wasn't there. Who else in this school would check out ancient magic like that? It wasn't like any of the other students knew the relevance of old magic like that.

"Looking for something?" Hermione whirled around at the sound of his voice, heart pounding when he let out an amused, sick laugh.

"Put that down, mudblood, I'm not going to hurt you." He was up to something; she could see it in the gleam in his eyes and the set of his mouth. He was lounging against the wall like he had been earlier that day, except now there was only one book in front of him, and a long stretch of parchment. A freshly used quill sat to the side with a vial of ink.

"What are you doing, Malfoy?" Hermione asked suspiciously, recognizing the tome anywhere; it was _A Thousand and One Nights_. His smirk widening, he gestured to his work, raising an eyebrow at her paranoia.

"Just reading; what's it to you?" He challenged, folding his arms. Straightening her back, Hermione rolled her eyes; what was she worried about? Turning around, she shook her head.

"Absolutely nothing, ferret boy." Stepping off to leave, Hermione was almost out of earshot when he spoke.

"I heard you and ickleronnikins broke up." Whirling around, Hermione felt anger that the truth had spread that fast. Why would Malfoy care anyway? Was it even any of his business? No, it wasn't! She felt suspicion rear its ugly head in her face.

"What's it to you?" She mimicked, folding her arms, wand still in hand. She wouldn't give him the chance to get close to her again; this time she'd hex and ask questions later. Slightly on edge when he laughed mockingly, Hermione faced him head on, ready to pounce.

"Just thought that maybe you'd taken a bit too much from him, that's all." His words shocked her, and slightly dumbfounded, Hermione pursed her lips to keep her jaw from dropping to the ground. Now what was he on about? It wasn't like he cared or anything, she could see that by his stare. Something was amusing him to no end though, and she wanted to get to the bottom of it. She couldn't trust him enough.

"Like I said, what's it to you?" Hermione snapped unintentionally. Talking about Ron with her worst enemy wasn't something she'd ever considered really doing, but now that she was, she felt a stir of anger at Ron, something she hadn't expected to feel. It was the desire to get even, something she'd felt earlier in the library. Was it something in the air?

"I'd be angry if I were you. I would want revenge." Malfoy pointed out, positioning himself so that he had her full attention.

"It's a relief I was made of more than anger and spite like you were, Malfoy." Hermione replied, not liking the way the events were turning out. What was he playing at? She should be on rounds, not talking to Malfoy! Instead of getting angry and having a temper tantrum though, Malfoy merely smirked at her.

"Yet you do feel anger and spite. Aren't you interested in my offer, mudblood?" Malfoy held up the paper, the ink still fresh on the page. Hermione peered at the page in slight confusion before shaking her head, annoyed.

"What the hell are you babbling on about, Malfoy? I don't have time for this!" Hermione turned to leave, but at his laugh she paused, uncertain.

"I'm talking about helping you get revenge on your ickleronnikins for ever breaking up with you."

* * *

_Hit or miss? Only you can tell!_


	3. Leo

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:) Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate them!

_Sorry I didn't update Monday; Tuesday and Thursday this week were consumed with AP tests. For those who don't know, it's college classes in high school. Since I'm a sophomor, I was swamped with my exams since this was my first year taking AP classes. But now that those are done, I can kick back for the last two weeks of school! _

_So, this is filler-esque, but necessary. Let me know what you think!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, suspicious. Malfoy raised an eyebrow and stood up, taking purposeful steps towards her, parchment in hand. Hermione drew away from him, not trusting, but as he laughed at her antics, she froze, not wanting to seem weak in front of him.

"I mean what I said. I'll help you get revenge for your blood traitor ever leaving you. It's what you want, isn't it?" Malfoy shrugged nonchalantly, inspecting his nails for signs of dirt as he spoke. "It's no real concern of mine, but I figured you would need help to be able to accomplish something like revenge." Hermione shook her head, not entirely understanding his words. What did he mean by help? It wasn't like Malfoy was suddenly a charitable person, a phoenix risen from the ashes or anything. It was Malfoy! Malfoy was a Slytherin, not capable of kindness, and that was that.

"You're right; it's no concern of yours. Why do you care?" She asked skeptically, eyes on the parchment, the wood of her wand strangely comforting as she gripped the handle tightly. She was ready for anything; he wouldn't catch her by surprise.

"Can't I be concerned when my safety is at stake because you're distracted by an undeserving ex?" Ok, she wasn't ready for that. Hermione simply stared at him, mind whirling as she glanced from him to the table to the parchment in his hand. What was he up to? Malfoy took a step closer to her, but faced to the side as if he was giving her leeway to leave. Something told her she should leave right then, stomp off and forget whatever nonsense he was blathering on about, but the picture of Ron and Lavender together made her blood boil, and she gave an internal sigh.

"Slytherins are all about self-preservation." She retorted dryly, trying to cover up the desire for revenge that she felt, the need to get even. Where was this spite coming from? As if realizing she wasn't leaving any time soon, Malfoy's smirk grew, and he leaned against the bookshelf, making himself comfortable.

"Well it certainly wouldn't be done out of the sheer kindness of my heart." Malfoy shrugged, hand tight on the parchment. What was written on it? Hermione strained to see, but the only thing she could discern was the elegant scrawl that he'd probably had instilled in him since childhood. Not able to help the snort of disdain, Hermione kept her wand in hand, but let her grip loosen slightly, waiting for the main point of his attentions to her.

"Really, I wasn't aware you had any to speak of anyway." Malfoy let out a bark of laughter that held no humor in it whatsoever, letting Hermione know just how right she was. He was agreeing with her without having to say a word.

"Aren't you going to ask how I could help you?" The silence supposedly had become too much for him, and Hermione rolled her eyes, glancing quickly at her watch. She was supposed to be patrolling right now, not talking to the most self-centered boy she'd even had the misfortune to meet.

"I'm trying to see how this would benefit you at all." Hermione said slowly, suspicions met when his sneer grew.

"It wouldn't." He stated, confirming her thoughts. Rolling her eyes, she turned to leave when he kept talking like she was still gazing intently at him. "… Which is why I've come up with something that would even the playing field." Stopping dead in her tracks, Hermione turned back slowly, seeing Malfoy holding out the length of parchment for her to look at.

"You can't really mean an even playing field… you'd never do something to make us equal." She informed him scathingly, ignoring the pang in her chest that said to take the paper and see what he meant.

"True…" Malfoy mused, eyes glinting as he observed her internal battle. Hermione doubtfully straightened out, facing him head on as she eyed the parchment like it was a bittersweet potion.

"If anything, your deal would be make it sway for in your favor than mine; you wouldn't strike a deal unless you were getting the bigger cut." It was like she was speaking her thoughts out loud, uncaring if he heard her or not.

"You read me all too well." Malfoy dryly commented, eyebrow raised. Hermione finally looked up at him, glaring at his sarcasm.

"It's not hard to read an open children's book." She snapped, the grip on her wand tightening. Malfoy's grip on the parchment threatened to rip it, but surprisingly he held his temper in check, deciding to glare at her instead.

"I was under the assumption that I was here to help you with a favor, but if you're too scared, then we'd better talk with Professor Dumbledore in order to place you into a different house; Gryffindor is much too brave for you."

"I'm not scared of you, Malfoy. I'm just not an utter idiot, and I know a trick when I see one." Hermione shook her head, pushing back the slight hurt at his words. She was supposed to be in Gryffindor, nothing more, nothing less. Who was he to say otherwise?

"There's no trick; it's obvious I would be getting the better half. But… if you really want to gain back what little self respect you have, and show the school you aren't trash to be used, then maybe you'd be getting the better half? Treasure is in the eyes of the beholder, mudblood, and you'd be a fool to pass this up." He let out a cold laugh as her anger spiked half at him and half at Ron. He couldn't know how she desperately wanted to show him up, did he? He couldn't know how she wanted to gain back her dignity and stop feeling low because the likes of Ron broke up with her.

"And in the eyes of this beholder, I'm seeing nothing but trash." She finally said after a silent mental battle, weighing the pros and cons.

"And yet you're not even going to ask what my idea was. Here I thought you were smart." Hermione's face flushed, and angrily she stomped forward and grabbed the parchment, eyes quickly scanning over the loopy scrawl as she took in the words written.

_The Covenant Clause:_

_The parties of this clause are to enter into a binding contract which is taken into effect the moment every party's names are signed on the parchment. The binding clause, administered by __Draco__Malfoy__ is to connect said party (a) to __Hermione Granger__, party (b). _

_Party (a) is under the covenant to ensure the revenge of party (b) by any means necessary to gain revenge in party (b)'s eyes. This includes-but is not limited- the following:_

_-Gaining back respect lost_

_-Teaching the rudiments of technical revenge_

_-Changes altering party (b)'s person in order to achieve set goal_

_-Ensuring that while the desire is met, it is met with preservation in mind_

_-This does not mean that party (b) is to be degraded in any way; at any time this issue is pressed, a warning spell will occur, ensuring party (a) is aware of the line crossed_

_Party (b) is under the covenant to ensure that party (a) is not hindered in attempts to help with party (b)'s vendetta. This includes-but is not limited-the following:_

_-Ensuring that party (a)'s orders are followed when said orders are given_

_1. Following specific orders given from party (a)_

_2. Following underlying orders when given from party (a)_

_3. Abstaining from loopholes in said orders from party (a)_

_-Following party (a)'s leading to ensure that party (a)'s contract is able to be met with party (b)_

_Once both party (a) and party (b) are sufficiently satisfied with both ends of the agreement, the bonds of said contract with diminish, and the spell will be completed. If at any point during the span of time that The Covenant Clause is attempted to be broken, a stunning spell will take effect immediately. If at any time both party (a) and party (b) decide together that the contract is no longer of use, a counteracting spell that requires both party (a) and party (b) is necessary to terminate the contract._

_The rudiments of this contract are to ensure that each piece of the deal is met out. Once the spell sensors indicate that the deal is equal in results, the spell will diminish. In no way will either party (a) or party (b) be violated. Failure to adhere to the contract will result in a stunning spell. _

Hermione stared at the page for minutes on end, not exactly sure what she was reading. The words blurred a few times, and she had to re-read sentences to know for sure what it was talking about. Draco Malfoy wanted her to be his technical servant in return for showing her how to get revenge?! What the hell did he think she would do, fall on her knees in thanks?

"You've a lot of nerve, Malfoy." She said quietly, looking up at him with annoyance on her features. He was watching her avidly, waiting for her reaction, and he wasn't disappointed.

"I try." He replied without any hint of remorse. Checking his fingernails for any sign of filth, he gave a slow breath of air. "I'm not going to pretend that this is giving you the better half. I'll inform you right up front, mudblood, this is all for me. You'd just be receiving something in return for my… desires." Hermione let out a snort, pushing the parchment back into his hands scornfully.

"And those 'desires' would be?" She inquired mockingly.

"Well, I've always wanted my own servant. What better way to acquire one that to have one completely bound to me?" He didn't hold back a cold laugh at her shiver, and walking towards her slowly, he smirked when the grip on her wand tightened.

"Why not get one who doesn't come with strings attached?" She snapped, panic rising in the back of her throat. "Do you think I don't know what kind of clause that is?" She jabbed a finger towards the old tome, eyes sparkling angrily. "That is old magic, Malfoy, spells and curses more advanced than any mere hex you wish you could cast on me. That clause was made during the goblin revolt, something wizards used to gain control of the goblins or other creatures. The repercussions to being tied to that… are more than just me being humiliated by following your orders." Malfoy observed her, smirking as she ranted, waiting with little patience for her to finish rambling. When she did, he shook his head, walking over to the tome and touching it reverently.

"I know exactly what it is, and what it's used for, mudblood." He drawled, tracing the peeling lettering. "My ancestors were the ones to create it."

"Then you know how dangerous it really is! Why do you think I would agree to something like that? I won't throw myself to the wolves just for a little revenge and a chance for you to humiliate me." Her voice was reaching the levels of near shrieking, and annoyed at her antics, he spun back around to face her, glaring.

"Believe me, there are other ways of humiliating you, mudblood. I wouldn't have to use this contract except for the simple fact that I have to make sure that while I'm servicing an unworthy chit like yourself, I'm getting my reward in full." Malfoy smiled, the sick look almost feral, and Hermione felt a little worried at how hard he was staring at her. What was he going to do now?

"Why does it even concern you in the least?" Hermione finally asked after a tense silence following his words.

"Maybe there's someone else in this school that I happen to hate more than you, mudblood." He dusted his robes off, as if he didn't like the fact that she was breathing near them.

"Yes, everyone knows you hate Harry Potter." She spat, glaring. Malfoy's smirk grew at her words, and he flipped open the book, skimming through it as he spoke.

"Ok, then there are two people I hate more than you." He corrected himself, chuckling blackly. Hermione walked over slowly, warning bells echoing in her head as she frantically weighed the pros and cons. It was true, Malfoy would be getting the better deal in this, but at the same time… Ron had seriously hurt her. How could he do that when he said he loved her? It was like saying you loved vanilla and then never eating it. But was revenge really worth tying herself to Malfoy? Grabbing the paper hesitantly, she looked at it again, pouring over the double edged words that would allow her leeway or tie her down. She had a hard time believing that he wanted to help, but didn't he state that his motives were purely selfish?

"You would help me gain revenge?" She asked softly, staring down at the sheet of paper, feeling the tinge of magic in its texture. He'd already done the spell to bind them, all he needed was her signature and they'd be bound until it was broken.

"That's what the contract says. I'd help you gain revenge and make your little weasel regret leaving you." His tone sounded bored, like he was tired of discussing the situation, but she couldn't let it up. There was no reason why she would trust him, but if he was bound just like her… why should she distrust him? _Because he'd have total control over you?_ Her thoughts whispered snidely. Looking up at him with a frown on her face, Hermione shook her head.

"So you help me get revenge on Ron… and I stay your servant until the revenge is met?" She snorted. "How will it be proven if revenge has been met?" Malfoy nodded slowly at her question, eyes glinting, happy to note that he knew more than she did on the matter.

"The spell has a sensor in it that shows when the deals been fully met. The contract will break automatically after." He drawled, hardly glancing at her as he continued to study the book with intense interest. Hermione studied the contract just as closely, trying to find a way around Malfoy's deal. It was strange to think he'd come up with a contract just to help her, and just to gain a servant. What had she done to encourage this? Something was up, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Malfoy… I'm not going to accept this deal. I can't come up with anything logical as to why I should say yes." Malfoy snorted and shook his head, leveling his sardonic gaze to her.

"Because revenge on the one who hurt you isn't enough. It's quite alright, mudblood. I can get my own revenge some other way." Flicking a hand in her direction, Malfoy hardly gave her a sick glance as he turned back to his book. Hermione frowned at his ease from her rejection, almost wishing he'd put up a fight over it. She received nothing from him, nothing but a snide voice calling to her, remarking dryly, "Aren't you supposed to be on your rounds right about now, Granger?" Startled, Hermione glanced down at her watch and let out a yelp, settling the contract onto the desk next to Malfoy's book before rushing out of the library.

* * *

Draco skimmed down the columns of words in the old tome, fighting back laughter. The first stage had gone perfectly… almost too perfectly. She would give in soon enough. Her curiosity was sparked enough that it would only take another argument for her to come running.

"You're confidant." Blaise observed as he came around the corner, fighting back a smile. Draco merely gave a non-committed grunt as he continued to search the old book, looking for another charm that would work. The anger and passion that had been in her eyes was astounding. If only he could get a Slytherin pureblood woman to get a look like that in her eyes, Draco was sure he'd have laid her in an instant, no questions asked.

"Of course I am… she's taken the bait." Draco shrugged off Blaise's hand on his shoulder as he continued to search for the spell to speed things up.

"You're sure she'll bite?" Blaise asked, slightly disbelieving.

"Oh, she'll be begging me by the end of this."

* * *

_Hit or miss? Only you can tell!_

**Preview for next chapter:**

_"How do I know I can trust you?" She asked suspiciously. _

_"Simple... you can't." His grin was malicious, his tone mocking. Glaring at him, she tried to muster up something clever to say, but the anger rushing around her was all consuming, and she could only push him out of the way to avoid hitting him. _

_"What's the matter? Something got you upset?"_


End file.
